One of the sons of King Khadgabahu of the previous story, was Dussaasana (Du-Saasana = One who miss, administrates or manages badly). Proud and haughty as he was, he took a bet with the mahouts of the royal stable that he could tie down an elephant in musht. He made the bet on the strength that he was the son of the king who was capable of tying down elephants in musht, and that he too could do so. Thus taking a bet, he approached an elephant in musht, but alas he was stamped to death by the animal.
Having died with the remembrance of an elephant uppermost in his mind, he was reborn as an elephant in the island of Simhala. The king of Simhala was a friend of King Khadgabahu of Saurashtra, and this baby elephant was sent by sea route to Saurashtra as a gift to the king who was a lover of elephants.
In the palace of Khadgabahu, the baby elephant grew up under the love and care of the king. Once it happened to listen to the king reciting the Geeta, and suddenly this event awakened in him the remembrance of his past life. It realised that it was in its previous birth the prince of that country.
And the elephant started weeping. It gave up eating. No one enquired deeply into the cause of its despair, or the truth behind it.
The king presented the elephant to a learned man who had come to the palace to participate in a literary competition.
The pundit took the elephant home, but discovered soon enough that it refused to eat anything. Expert veterinary doctors examined the elephant. They could not find anything wrong with the animal.
The pundit offered the elephant as a present to the king of Malva.
An elephant of perfect features!
"Where did you get him from?" asked the king.
"He was born in the island of Simhala. The king of Simhala gifted him to the king of Saurashtra. And he gave it to me", said the pundit.
The king went near the young elephant, stroked it with love and said: "Grow up to be a good boy. You will have all facilities here."
The king gave gifts to the pundit in exchange for the elephant and left it to the care of the chief mahout.
The elephant refused to eat. Tears rolled down from its eyes.
"This animal is suffering from some kind of disease", said the mahouts. "It is not eating because of the disease it is suffering from."
They informed the king. The king became sad.
"Disease in a young elephant of perfect features?"
He summoned veterinary doctors specialised in the treatment of elephants. They tried a number of experiments on the animal. The elephant suffered silently the inflictions of pain and forcible treatment by the experts. At last it was declared that the elephant suffered from no disease.
The king despaired.
Stroking the elephant, the king asked: "Son, what happened to you? Tell me frankly. I am not able to see your tears."
The affectionate talk and behaviour of the king eked out response from the elephant. It produced a sound as if in pain.
The king could not control his distress and he wept.
"O king, I have no disease."
The king was aghast with wonderment. He was dumb- founded.
"O king will you do me a favour?" the elephant asked.
"Tell me I will do whatever who want me to", said the king.
"Please get here a person who recites the seventeenth chapter of the Geeta regularly I will get liberated from this condition when I hear it I have been waiting for art opportunity to hear it."
The king did not bother to enquire into the logic behind the elephant's desire to hear the chanting of the Geeta. He immediately sent scores of people all over the land to find out the person who recited the seventeenth chapter of the Geeta regularly.
Later, when his mind calmed down, the king asked the elephant: "Who are you in reality? What is the meaning of your desire to hear the seventeenth chapter of Geeta?"
"O king, I am the son of King Khadgabahu"
The king of Malwa was shocked.
"Son of Khadgabahu"
The elephant narrated its story from the very beginning, the king was lost in wonder.
The Geeta pundit came.
Hearing the story of the elephant's strange request, people from all parts of the country reached the capital city and crowded round the elephant.
The elephant addressed the crowd: "O citizens of the country, please see for yourself the glory of the seventeenth chapter of the Geeta."
The crowd stood watching in rapt attention.
The pundit sat beside the elephant and started his chanting. As he finished the seventeenth chapter, the elephant which was listening to it attentively, fell down and died.
A celestial vehicle alighted there. Led by the angels of the heavens, the soul of the elephant entered the vehicle and it rose and vanished into the higher worlds.
The king and the citizens who had physically witnessed the glory of the seventeenth chapter, praised the Bhagawad Geeta in one voice.
The king arranged for a state funeral for the elephant.
After having narrated the greatness of the seventeenth chapter, O Siva (of auspicious nature), I shall now narrate the greatness of the eighteenth chapter.
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